Blackboard acquires predictive analytics firm

Acquisition of Blue Canary will help Blackboard’s focus on data-driven decision-making

Blackboard has acquired higher-ed predictive analytics company Blue Canary, which helps institutions glean data-driven insights and use them to improve student success.

With the acquisition, Blackboard continues to focus on educational data analytics and aims to bring powerful and holistic analytics solutions to learners, instructors, advisors, and institutions.

Blue Canary was incubated by Clairvoyant LLC, recipient of the 2014 Arizona Technology Council Start Up of the Year Award. Clairvoyant’s experience in higher education and expertise in building data-driven solutions was the driving force behind the inception of Blue Canary. Blue Canary’s product offering focuses on student retention, an issue that continues to be top of mind for institutions worldwide.

Today’s announcement marks the latest investment made by Blackboard in learning analytics solutions to provide learners, instructors, advisors, and institutions with information and insights that can improve student success. Blackboard’s comprehensive analytics advancements include the announcement earlier this year of the company’s acquisition of X-Ray Analytics, a research-based, data analytics technology that is being integrated into Blackboard’s offerings.

“We recognize the importance that educators and institutional leaders place on understanding the data that exists around their learners” said Jay Bhatt, CEO of Blackboard. “That’s why we’ve assembled a robust analytics portfolio and why we continue to invest in the technology and the talent that will advance our leadership in this area. Predictive analytics is the key to helping institutions support more students effectively, whether that support is in the form of a high-touch engagement from an advisor, or in the form of an integrated, student-facing dashboard.”

“We look forward to joining the Blackboard family and advancing a strategy that has an extremely rich analytics offering. Blackboard has the breadth and depth of skills, resources and intellectual horsepower to make an enormous impact on learner retention and to enable the institutions that serve them,” said Mike Sharkey, President and Founder of Blue Canary. “We’re excited to join a team that shares our vision for data-powered decision making in education, as well as our keen focus on innovation and fostering success for learners.”

Laura Ascione

Laura Ascione is the Managing Editor, Content Services at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland's prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
When she isn't wrangling her two children, Laura enjoys running, photography, home improvement, and rooting for the Terps.
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